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Joseph T. Hope

Obituary

Services will be held Friday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Soldotna. Father Michael Brennan will officiate. A viewing will be from 5 to 6 p.m. at the church with mass beginning at 6 p.m. A reception will immediately follow the services at the church.

Mr. Hope was born July 17, 1933, in Philadelphia, Penn. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1955. In 1955, he began working for Montgomery Ward in Sacramento, Calif. as an auto service manager.

He moved to the Vallejo, Calif., store in 1968. In 1972, he was promoted and moved to Anchorage, where he worked for Montgomery Ward until retiring in 1984. He then moved to Soldotna for his retirement years.

Mr. Hope was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Eagles, Elks and the American Legion. He received the "Soldotna Elk of the Year" award in 1999. Mr. Hope's hobbies and interests included volunteer work at the Elks, fishing, traveling and spending time with his family and dogs.

"Joe was a devoted husband, father and grandfather," his family said. "Although he had many interests in life, his family was most important to him. He was a special 'Papa' to his grandchildren and loved taking them fishing and clam digging."

"He especially liked spoiling them with candy and ice cream. Joe enjoyed in his retirement years traveling in his motor home with his wife and three dogs. He will always have a special place in our hearts."

Mr. Hope was preceded in death by his son, Joseph T. Hope Jr.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Barbara Hope of Soldotna; daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and John Kurz of Jakarta, Indonesia; son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Stacy Hope of Soldotna; grandchildren Vanessa, Joey and Heather Hope of Anchorage, Madison, Cameron and Caitlin Kurz of Jakarta, Indonesia, and Troy Hope of Soldotna.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Central Peninsula Unit, P.O. Box 2165, Kenai.